Noise insulating ring for earphones



ZAWAW Aug. 17,1948.

J. E. VALENTINE NOISE- INSULATING RING FORIEA'RPHONES Filed Dec. 17', 1945 /3 29 lNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 17, 1948 2,447,410 NOISE INSULATING RING FOR EARPHONES Joseph E. Valentine, Plainfield, N. J assignor to Oxzyn Company, Clifton, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 17, 1943, Serial No. 514,606

5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an earphone'assembly adapted to facilitate the reception of sound messages by an operator under conditions of noise and jarring such as are encountered, for example, in airplanes and tanks, and in many peace time operations as well as in warfare, which cause the hearing and accurate reception of phone messages transmitted by the ordinary earphone piece or receiver to be extremely diflicult even when the ear piece is pressed so tightly against the operators ear as to injure the cartilages of the ear.

I An object of the invention is to provide a simple practical and effective assembly of the kind described.

Another object of the invention is to provide an earphone assembly with means adapted to form a noise excluding closure over and around the users ear and the sound transmitting portion of said assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly of the kind described, the parts of which, including a closure or support for known sound vibration translating means, are simple and easy to assemble and to disassemble.

Another object of the invention is to provide an earphone assembly with a sound excluding closure around the sound transmitting instrumentality thereof, having a portion adapted to serve as a bearing against the users head, which bearing is so related to the said instrumentality and the carrier therefor that it is capable of swinging angular movement relative thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide an earphone assembly which will be substantially non-responsive to externally induced vibrations.

Another object is in general to provide an improved apparatus of the above mentioned kind and a simple and efficient method of construct-.- ing the same. vious or in part pointed out hereinafter. The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and in the several steps and relation and order of each of said steps, to one or more of the others thereof, all as will be pointed out in the following description, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view, partly in elevation, of an earphone assembly em- Other objects will be in part 013- d I bodying my invention and its relation in use to ment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a rear elevation showing a manner of detachably connecting the sound excluding closure to a carrier plate, and of connecting the assembly to a positioning headband; and

Figure 5 is a, detail view, partly in section, through the ear and the holder for sound translating means.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The carrier plate or backing I0 is preferably of a substantial size, and preferably circular and of a diameter on the order of the major axis of the ear. This carrier plate serves to support a holder H for sound translating means which in turn supports an ear plug adapted to fit in the user's ear and has a sound vibration conduit communicating with the sound translating means supported by said holder.

As illustrated the carrier I0 is annular having the central opening Illa in which the holder II is inserted and supported so that a portion of said holder, which may be apertured as at l2 to. receive the telephone wiring l 3, projects from one face of the carrier, and so that another portion of the holder ll projects from the other face of the carrier and acts as a support for the-ear plug M, which may be frictionally engaged thereon.

Preferably the holder ll is in the form of a two part closure the parts of which may be readily engaged and disengaged, and the engagement .of which serves to secure the holder H in the aperture Illa of the carrier plate l0. Thus as illustrated herein the holder part lla is cup shaped and provided with a shoulder l5, adapted to about against the rear face of carrier plate l0 and to position it against said plate, and it is externally threaded as at l6 for engagement with y the internal grooves l'l provided in holder part III), which may also be substantially cup-shaped, and has the outwardly projecting boss l8 through which a bore l9 extends thus communicating with the interior of the closure formed when the holder members Ila and llb are assembled. It will thus be seen that when the holder member lla is positioned in the aperture l0a of carrier plate In, with its shoulder [5 in abutting relation to the carrier plate, and the holder member llb'is screwed onto the member Ila, so that the threads of holder member H a are seated in the grooves of holder member llb, a closure will be provided which is firmly seated in the aperture Inc of carrier plate ID, with part II a projecting from the back surface of carrier plate It, and with part Hb projecting from the front face of carrier I The aperture I2 for telephonewiring I3 is preferably provided in holder part lldso that the wiring will enter the closure for" the sound translating instrumentality from the rear side of carrier plate It).

An ear plug M, which is preferably madeor adeformable material such as rubber, is provided with a central bore 20, and ear vided with a rearwardly extending flange 2| adapted to be engaged over boss iii of holder part Ill), 50 that, when the front portion 22 of me I5 is rife: Y

r 4 plate l0 and the users head around the members Nb and M.

The closure member is preferably of a minimum diameter less than the maximum diameter of the carrier plate I0, and of a maximum diameter greater than the maximum diameter of carrier plate It] so that the outer androunded porti'ofi of said efiteib e has a yielding cantilever 3.8.. tion" along the major axis of the ear, and may bend backwardly to some extent over the edge of carrier plate H1, in effecting self-accommodating deformation according to the contour of the head and ear when the assembly is pressed *eigaih st teeuser's ear. In thus self adjusting itself and the spacing of the carrier plate from the users Head the closure means cooperates and Qcoa'cts with deformable ear plug M which is the ear plug, which is adapted to fit into the entrance to the auditory canal of the users" ear,

is inserted in the users ear, the bore fine-1a will be aligned withthe tale it part lib thus providing a sound trans" v fig" air cheese which communicates between the sound vibration translating means contained within ligi'ld'r fl and the auditory canal of the users e21:

Tli preferably defdr'riiable character of ear iiig [4 enables a to cooperate with the bearing and insulating means about to be de- S fibed:

Fixed t8 the carrier plate I 0; preferably demenus asses, such for example as the means shown, and hereafter described heriii, and fit tirig preferably snugly around theholder I l is a closure member comprising a substantially weblike iia'itidii 2'3 hating teams as diner peripher as seems! envelope -24, r'h'ad of any suitable soft yildable riiatfi'al, such, for example, asveiour' or other pile fabric. Preferably the envelope 24 is of a form such that when filled it has a rounded surface adapted for use as? a bearing surface against the users head,- and of a size to wholly encompass the users ear along its minor axis and to contact only the soft extremities of the ear along its sister axis and to conform itself to the L shape of the users ear. The envelope 24 also s rv s to space carrier plate Ill and the web ertiori 23 laterally train the users head so that a saline-insulated space is provided around the user's ear with room therein for the holder I'hr'iib'r NH and ear plug member l4;

The envelope 24 is filled with a soft seen-e excludii'ig and sound damping material 25, such, for example, as cotton or wool wedding or filling; I p after to use for this purpose a substantially anfi'rilar blank of the selected wedding material, of suitable thickness and pliancy, bent over upon itself peripherally, as by turning the outer portioii 25 thereof back over one face of the blank, forming a filling member substantially u-snapea in cross section the arm 26 of which is super imposed over the arm portion fl, as illustrated Figure 1. The arms 26 and 2"! of the filling formed in this way tend to straighten outand thus expand the envelope, and this action takes place substantially all around the envelope; The bent-over portion 25, in attempting to unbend, presses outwardly against the inner face of the envelope 24, thus tending to form a tight closure against the head of the user over and around the users ear, and also serves to space the web-like portion 23, the carrier 1ate Ill, and the members Hand M, laterally from the users head, providmg a noise insulated space between Caner adapted to adjust itself in length in order to comfoi ta-bly-position the device on the user's head.

As illustrated herein the envelope 24 and weblike portion 23" are formed of a plurality of overlapping annular members,- one of which} s'u'ch the facing 28, may,- for example, be ofvelour} and the other of said annular members; whichconstitutes the backing member 29, may be of any strong, durable, and preferably inexpensive mate rial, such for example as a coarse cotton fabric; The facing member 28 has its peripheral portion carried across the face of the resilient filling member 25 and around its b'ent over annular pen tion to a point, such as x, on its rear race The" backing 29 may be superimposed ever the b'e'nt over outer edge-portion of facing 28' and secured thereto, preferably adhesively; as by thermoplas tic adhesive, but sewing or any other suitable means may be employed, arid the facing and backin'g members 28 and 29 are secured together along a circular line which is' spaced from their inner peripheral edge portions, as at 17, thus forming the web portion 23 and the envelope 24' extending around the periphery of the web portion 23;

As illustratedherein the attachment means be tween the closure forming member and the rier plate 10 is provided by the female snap members 3% carried by the fiap's 3! which aresecured to the back of the closure forming assembly, and the cooperating male snap fasteners 32 which are positioned and spaced at intervals around the rear face of carrier plate It. The flaps 3| may all conveniently be related to an annular anchoring strip 33 secured to the annular backing member 29 of the closure forming assem= bly. The said anchoring strip 33 is secured to the closure forming assembly so that backing plate It) may be readily inserted under the flaps 3|, preferably with the inner edge of anchoring strip 33 extending over the outer peripheral edge of the backing plate.

Any suitable means may be provided for attach-'- ing the carrier plate it to means for position= ing and holding the deviceon the users head with the ear plug I4 inserted in the user's ear. As illustrated herein the carrier plate 10 is provided with two pairs of slots 34 and 35, adapted to respectively receive the ends of two straps 36 and 31 respectively, by which the device may be held on the 'operators head. Another strap 38 may be provided, having at its end a female snap fastener member 39 a'dapted to engage the male snap member 40 onthe rear face of carrier plate Ill, which may be used as a chin strap to further secure the device on the users head.

It will be noted, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, that the envelope '24- encloses the users ear 41 so that no substantial pressure is exerted by the device on the cartilages of the ear, such pressure as there is being distributed widely around the users ear and over the soft portions thereof.

There is thus provided a noise insulated space which acts as a housing for the members [4 and i in, enabling sound impulses from the diaphragm or other sound translating instrumentality, which in this embodiment of the invention is contained in holder l I, to be communicated to the ear of the operator Within a space shielded from external noises. To minimize and prevent vibrations from being set up in the assembly itself I preferably provide the carrier plate l2 and holder H with a thin coating of a vibration damping material, preferably a plastic material, such, for example as a bituminous material which may contain mineral filler and which may be applied by spraying it, preferably on the inside face of carrier i0, and on the inside of parts I la and ilb of holder H, and allowing it to harden thereon.

In the assembly as described herein a soiled or damaged closure member may be readily detached from the carrier and a new closure member substituted in place of the old one.

The closure member and particularly the bearing surface of envelope 24 may be asepticized to protect the wearer against infection. I have found that a fabric closure member has many advantages over one made of rubber since it readily absorbs disinfectant, is less susceptible to extremes of temperature, and is freer from condensation of moisture on its surface thus greatly lncreasing the comfort of the user.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention an apparatus, in which the various objects hereinabove set forth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. As various possible embodiments might be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and as the art herein described might be varied in various parts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. A resilient annular closure member adapted to be fixed on the ear side of an earphone assembly to surround and insulate the sound-transmitting air path between the earphone assembly and the users ear against extraneous vibrations by resilient conforming contact with the users head, said annular closure member comprising a fabric envelope and a resilient fibrous filler mass peripherally folded on itself so as to exert an expansive force on the envelope.

2. A closure member as defined in claim 1, hav

ing a diameter greater than the minor axis of the human ear but sufliciently small to permit resilient conforming contact near its periphery with the users head on a line entirely surrounding the ear opening.

3. The combination comprising an earphone assembly having a carrier plate, a sound-translating means so mounted on the carrier plate as to provide a sound-transmitting air path to the users ear when the earphone assembly is in position for use, electric conduction means for connecting the sound-translating means with signalreceiving equipment, and a resilient annular closure member so constructed and disposed as to resiliently engage and conform to the users head when in use and to surround the sound-transmitting air path and insulate it against extraneous vibrations, the closure member comprisin a fabric envelope and a resilient fibrous filler mass peripherally folded on itself so as to exert an expansive force on the envelope and prevent substantial pressure of the device on the cartilages of the ear while permitting resilient operative contact with the wearers head, said closure memher being provided with separable fastening means cooperating with complementary fastening means on the carrier plate so disposed that the closure member may be readily removed without disassembling other parts of the earphone assembly.

4. A combination as defined in claim 3, in which rigid parts of the earphone assembly are covered with a plastic vibration-damping coat- 5. A combination as defined in claim 3, in which the sound-transmitting air path is defined atleast in part by the bore of a deformable tubular ear plug.

JOSEPH E. VALENTINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 572,108 Farington Dec. 1, 1892 1,893,474 Lieber Jan. 3, 1933 2,204,183 I-Iulin June 11, 1940 2,353,070 Pitkin July 4, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 260,246 Great Britain June 30, 1927 274,511 Great Britain July 19, 1928 636,213 France Apr. 8, 1928 42,378 Norway Jan. 25, 1926 639,189 Germany Nov. 30, 1936 

